West Kelowna
Millions announced for upgrades to Westside Road
WEST KELOWNA – Premier Christy Clark announced Friday that the province would invest $45 million over five years to upgrade one of the worst roads in B.C. The first step involves widening an 800 metre section from Waterfront Farm to Blue Grouse as well as installation of roadside barriers and rock protection. Construction on...
Growing West Kelowna given Crown land for new municipal works yard
WEST KELOWNA - A new municipal works yard for West Kelowna is on the way with a $8.7 million land grant from the province. The five hectare parcel of Crown land is located at the junction of Bartley and Stevens Road and allows the district to move forward with this civic priority without placing the...
Proposed cell tower scrubbed
WEST KELOWNA – A controversial plan to build a cell phone tower in West Kelowna has been abandoned amid protest from neighbours. The 20-metre tall tower, which was to be erected by Rogers Wireless at Mount Boucherie Winery, drew criticism from neighbours who worried it would be an eyesore and could negatively affect their health....
UPDATE: Power back on for nearly 22,000 West Kelowna customers
UPDATE - According to the B.C. Hydro website, power was restored at about 3:30 a.m. to nearly 22,000 customers. There's no word yet on the cause of the outage. WEST KELOWNA - Nearly 22,000 customers have been without power since about 6:30 p.m. thanks to a major hydro outage affecting homes and businesses in Westbank,...
West Kelowna mayor seeking third term
WEST KELOWNA – Doug Findlater has announced he will seek his third term as mayor of West Kelowna in the upcoming election. First elected six years ago, Findlater has been on the West Kelowna District Council since incorporation. According to a press release sent Monday morning, “Doug is seeking re-election because he believes that the...
TEACHERS’ STRIKE: Huge rally planned Wednesday; Soccer fields closing?
WEST KELOWNA – Christy Clark's constituency office better get used to company. More than 200 people gathered out front of the Premier's West Kelowna constituency office on Dobbin Road today—what should have been the first day of school—to add pressure in her dispute with the province's teachers and a whole lot more may be coming...
Fast charge stations for electric cars proposed for West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA – Fast charging stations for electric cars could be coming soon to West Kelowna. The new stations, part of a province-wide initiative put forward by B.C. Hydro, will recharge a vehicle in approximately 30 minutes using direct current (DC) instead of the several hours needed at a regular AC household outlet. Facilities manager...
Suspicious fire in West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA – The RCMP are looking for your help to find a couple of young men after a suspicious fire was set in West Kelowna Wednesday night. Firefighters were called to the front entrance of a property in the 3500 block of Elk Road around 10:30 p.m. and quickly put out the fire. RCMP...
Elliott Road reopens to public after seven month closure
WEST KELOWNA – The section of Elliott Road between Main Street and Dobbin will reopen to vehicle and pedestrian traffic Monday after being closed for more than seven months for construction of a new transit exchange. Construction of the Westbank RapidBus transit exchange won't be completed until the end of the month and motorists are...
STAHN: The view from up here
You may think I’m wrong to admit this, but I am actually really excited about this fire season. I have been since murmurs of another active season began. The opportunity to see our guys and gals in action, putting themselves in harms way to save our homes, the air tankers and helicopters constantly buzzing above:...
Shannon Lake Regional Park re-opens while Smith Creek fire still burning
WEST KELOWNA - Shannon Lake Regional Park is open again for use even though there's still some fire activity in the Smith Creek area. Shannon Lake Park Road was closed to the public early in the battle against the wildfire. The Regional District of Central Okanagan recently re-evaluated the risk following recent wet weather and...
Fire closes Mt. Boucherie Park
KELOWNA - An interface fire Tuesday afternoon has prompted closure of Mt. Boucherie Park until fire crews finish putting out hot spots and the district can assess the risk. The fire began around 3 p.m. Tuesday and quickly grew to just over four hectares. West Kelowna fire crews were aided by B.C. Wildfire air tankers...
Gellatly Road to reopen on weekend
WEST KELOWNA – Gellatly Road, closed since May by bank erosion, will reopen to vehicle and pedestrian traffic Saturday. Mayor Doug Findlater declared a local State of Emergency May 12 and the stretch between Witt and Carrall Roads was closed while damage was assessed. Work on the roadway began May 20 but due to the...
Eight road projects to begin in West Kelowna
WEST KELOWNA - Road repair projects are beginning across the region this month, so get ready for a few delays. Road projects starting on or after July 14 and running through to mid-August include: - Shannon Way, Westville Place and Westville Way - West Kelowna Road from Westlake to Klein Roads and from Guest Road...
Lions Hall arsonist tells court to hurry up and sentence him
"IT'S RIDICULOUS. I PLED GUILTY." KELOWNA – The man who pleaded guilty to burning the Westbank Lions Hall last September has opted to represent himself in court in an apparent effort to speed sentencing. Kerry Robert Cooper, 30, appeared before a Justice of the Peace via video Thursday morning, saying he didn’t care what the...